He widened his arms before slamming them around me and picking me up like a toy, despite my 6-foot frame. “When did you get back?”
“Put me down, dickhead.”
He chuckled, dropping me, his arms holding onto my biceps as he took me in. “Fireman, huh?”
“Watch Manager, thank you very much. Means I’m the boss, well, I’m the boss of my shift. Don’t tell the night crew… I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He stepped back and bowed. “My apologies, oh great and powerful one. Don’t worry, your hunger for fire station domination will remain our secret.”
I stared at him as memories of our childhood flooded back. Jasper and I had been neighbours—friends since we were five, in the same class at school. We were inseparable until life had other ideas and I moved with my dad when I was fifteen.
“Jax?” the server called behind me.
“Jax?” Jasper questioned.
I nodded. “Yeah, I stopped being Jackson a long time ago. Look, I have to go, but do you want to catch up… go for abeer? I’ve only been back a couple of days and I could do with a friendly face.”
Jasper smiled and handed me his phone. “Sure, I’d love to catch up.” I typed in my number and hit call, so I had his too. “How long’s it been?”
“Sixteen years.” I knew exactly how long.
“Fuck, we’re old. When did that happen?”
Just then, a dark-haired woman appeared at Jasper’s side. “Sorry I’m late, honey. Thomas needed me to finish something before I left.”
Jasper turned, wrapping his arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Ma, you remember Jackson.”
She furrowed her brows as she took me in, and it dawned on me who she was.
“Mrs. Fischer? Wow! It’s so good to see you.”
Her lips curled into a smile that seemed to warm the entire coffee shop. “Jackson Cartwright? No, that can’t be you. You were…” She held her hand out below her shoulder. “This tall last time I saw you. How are you?”
Before I could reply, Jimmy stuck his head through the door. “Jax, we've got a shout.”
Chapter 2
Helen
I looked around the restaurant and then at my phone for the hundredth time, but there was still no sign of him and no message or phone call explaining why he wasn’t here. Lifting my glass, I drained the last of my wine before letting out a loud sigh.
I unlocked my phone, opening the dating app, ready to write Oliver AKA @Salty_Temptation a snotty message, reminding him how rude it was to stand someone up, but there was no sign of him or our two-week-long message history. Confused, I typed out a message in a group chat with my friends.
Me: Why would someone vanish from a dating app if you’ve been talking to them?
Vee: Ghosted! Why?
Vee: No! Did that fucker ghost you?
I tried not to let tears prick my eyes as I tucked my freshly cut and professionally coloured hair behind my ear, feeling foolish in my black A-line dress and heels I could barely walk in.
Me: Looks like it.
Becks: Shit, H. Men are the worst. Sorry.
Lizzy: You want us to come rescue you?
I smiled because I knew they would drop everything to turn up here and make me feel better.
